Planet Fitness — Attraction in Brownsville

I’ve been a member of Planet Fitness for a while now, and I genuinely love how clean and updated this gym is. It wasn't until recently that I started to make this a daily routine to get healthy. The equipment is better than what I’ve seen at other gyms in bigger cities like San Antonio and the staff here are incredibly friendly and helpful. Big shout out to them for always being welcoming.

That said, I do have one major complaint: the Summer Program for teens. While I understand and support encouraging youth to get active, the lack of structure and supervision is making it extremely difficult for paying adult members to actually use the gym. Every afternoon, the machines are overrun with large groups of teenagers, many of whom just sit and socialize instead of working out. They’ll hold machines for friends, use the treadmills like toys (one even fell off recently), and slam the weights excessively. It’s chaotic and unsafe, and it’s honestly ruining the experience. I’ve tried asking when they’ll be done with the equipment, but most of the time I’m met with glares, eyerolls, or a flat 'we’re not done,' even though they’re not actively using the machines. They tend to group up, take over spaces, and refuse to move, often just sitting there chatting instead of working out.

Several other Black Card members I’ve spoken to are considering canceling their memberships because of this. Many of us work long hours and only have a small window in the evenings to get a workout in and it’s disheartening to show up and be unable to exercise because groups of unsupervised teens are monopolizing the space.

I know this is a company wide initiative, but it desperately needs better regulation. Please consider adjusting the program to include supervision, usage limits, or designated hours. Adult members deserve a comfortable, safe environment too.

I want to be clear, this isn’t directed at the teens who are genuinely there to work out and better themselves. I see them too, and I’m absolutely rooting for their success. The issue is with the ones who are disrespectful, disruptive, and make the environment uncomfortable for everyone else.

I don’t expect the staff to ‘babysit’ these teens. They’re already doing a great job and have plenty on their plates. I’m not sure what the solution is, but the current situation has made it really hard to want to come back. And that breaks my heart, because I’ve been working so hard to get healthier and this gym had become a big part of that.

(I will add pictures later. I just wanted to make these comments while they were...

I have loved this place for so long, and I have been a black card member the entire time. It used to be my escape. Recently, however, it has become overrun with teens. It is packed no matter what time of day you go. Hordes of teens have turned it a hangout spot: 3-4 or more per machine, with many of them just sitting and talking on it. It looks like it has gotten so packed that the A/C is broken. Huge fans are everywhere (a new one added each day I go), with water dripping from the A/C into a trash can and a trail leaking onto the floor. Plus, it is STILL hot in there. It looks super ghetto now. It is just too packed ALL the time. Kids keep slamming the weights; they don't respect the equipment, and I fear "paying loyal members" will be left with broken equipment after they're gone. There is no organization among the kids being there, and parents just drop them off in groups with no supervision. It has seriously gotten really bad. We are going to cancel our membership and have sadly started looking for other gyms because we just can't workout anymore.I workout with my partner; we rest when we switch, don't slam weights, don't sit there on our phones, and clean the equipment. We are respectful of other people and their time and health (cleaning equipment). However, recently, there is never any available equipment I need when I go, and I waste time just waiting and searching for an available machine all different times. Even at 12 a.m.-1 a.m. the kids are still all there. I understand what they are "trying" to do, but they need to have a set time frame for their free "teen program" so paying members- the ones keeping the lights on -can know when they can actually go to work out. Also, they don't check IDs so alot of them are signing up as " teens" online for a free pass to use the gym. They brag about it on social media, another slap in the face. They need to enforce the rules, but they don't or I should say they can't. I honestly, feel really bad for the workers. They are always really nice but, always understaffed. Having to clean up after all those people it is near impossible with so little staffing. I feel bad that they have to deal with all this and that they have to be in that heat all day. People who say the same thing in revoews are met with comments from the company that have no real solution but their own...

Solid place for beginners and props to the cleaning staff, especially during the summer months when kids work out for free.

As much as I want to support teens having a safe space to develop healthy habits together, it is very inconvenient for paying members and not all of them are serious about their time there. Staff should be doubled during the summer months to help with teen supervision. I’ve seen kids in sandals, Crocs, or sometimes just socks running on the treadmill or using the stairmaster. Most of them don’t clean the machines after they use them and many of them are just hanging out in groups, holding up machines while they’re on their phones. Basically, the gym is always packed Monday through Thursday because of the kids.

Important to note this gym is not 24/7, only open 24 hours from Monday to Thursday and closes really early on Saturday for some reason.

Also, their AC has been busted a few times this summer - at one point, even their beverage fridge was empty due to how hot it was. It’s resolved now but not sure how long that will last.

Overall, I only recommend you come here if you’re a beginner looking for a cheap place to workout or someone who would take advantage of the 2-for-1 deal with the black card membership since you can bring a guest with you every time.

PS Don’t need a PR reply because I already know I will be directed to the club manager… which is kind of silly because shouldn’t the manager be reviewing this and making changes instead of asking us to...